The competitive edge: Beyond leading by example

Many leaders believe they make a choice to lead by example. However, the truth is, as a leader, you are always being watched. As a result, you are always setting the example, whether or not that is your intent.

What does it mean to lead by example? That depends on who you ask.

Leaders often think that if they simply do their jobs well, people will follow suit and also perform well. But many employees need to see a leader set the standard for job performance before they’ll even consider doing their job well.

In other words, working hard and having a good attitude are just two parts of the much larger process of leading by example. There are some specific additional things that leaders must do to set their people up for success and to build healthy work environments.

Fifteen years ago, I had the opportunity to train a new supervisor. She was to be in charge of a crew of people responsible for setting a sales floor back to standard after a busy day. There were just enough people on the crew to get all the work done if all went well.

The supervisor was also set to train some new associates. On the first day I began to train her, I explained that being the supervisor meant that you had to work on your people skills just as much as your technical skills. On the second day, she said to me, “I think it’ll be easier if I just lead by example.”

So that’s what she did. She worked her part of the sales floor perfectly. She would even finish early so that she could then go work alongside her employees so they would see her leading by example.

This started out well but as time went on, things dramatically changed. Her employees were letting her do their work. They began to take longer and longer breaks, despite her example of taking her breaks in the allotted time. The newer associates never could quite get the hang of the work; their supervisor never really put them through a quality training process. The more seasoned employees were getting frustrated because the newer employees weren’t pulling their weight.

The associates nearly rebelled one night. It was an extremely busy night and they were short an employee; they felt like they would never get the job completed and were frustrated their supervisor wasn’t taking charge and developing a new plan. The “lead by example” supervisor finally told them, “Just do what you can and then leave at the end of your shift; I’ll take care of the rest.” The supervisor was there for another five hours after everyone else left. Over the next few days, almost all the newer associates quit, complaining that the supervisor was nice and worked hard, but wasn’t a good leader and wasn’t training them.

The supervisor soon admitted defeat and asked for help. The store manager and I were able to guide her through the skills of providing vision to the associates – explaining the why. We helped her develop her skills of giving feedback and holding people accountable. We taught her how to teach and train others – how to listen to the whispers before they became screams. While all of this may be outside the borders of “leading by example,” it’s also 100% necessary to be a successful leader.

Leading by example is not enough. You also must be a visionary, a culture builder. You must have emotional intelligence, and be a problem solver for – and a protector of – your people.

If you find yourself stuck in a “lead by example” mindset, considering finding a mentor who can help you expand your skill set. Before too long, you’ll be on your way to becoming the competent leader your people need – and deserve.